Just about every diet book is jam-packed
with what Dr. Atkins calls
a rationale (along with the testimonials,
the youll never be hungry again
promises, and the obligatory why this
diet works when all others failed
chapter).
Many rationales are irrelevant
because they dont do the obvious: test
the authors diet against a control
diet to see if one enables people to lose
more weight...and keep it off.
Without a control group, studies
are worthless. I can make anyone lose
20 pounds just by bringing them into
our research center for a few weeks,
says Tufts University researcher Susan
Roberts.
On these pages we ignore the
rationales and instead size up the
diets. Because the unacceptable diets
often give no serving sizes, our numbers
may grossly underestimate their fat and
sat fat levels (see Note).

Note about our numbers: We calculated
(rounded) numbers by averaging three to
five days worth of menus from each book.
(If a number is marked with an *, you
could get 50 percent more or less than the
average on any given day.) When a book
gave no serving sizes, we used its recipes to
estimate portions or used (very modest)
portions recommended by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture. We also omitted
ingredients (like butter) if they were optional.
The percentages of calories from fat,
carbs, and protein may not add up to 100
due to rounding. If you want to compare
the books numbers to official recommendations,
the governments Daily Values are
65 grams of fat, 20 grams of saturated fat,
and 25 grams of fiber. There are no DVs
for carbohydrates or protein.

Our numbers average the induction, weight-loss, and maintenance diets.

The Zoneby Barry Sears, Ph.D.Claim: The correct
ratio of carbs to protein
to fat (40:30:30)
promotes weight loss
(and health) because it
keeps insulin levels in The Zone.What you eat: Low-fat protein (like
chicken breast, fish, or cottage cheese)
the size of your palm, and fruits and vegetables
on the rest of the plate, with a
small amount of olive or canola oil.